1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to assemblies of the type having a chain, often of a decorative nature, used for suspending articles such as lighting fixtures, chandeliers, etc., requiring a supply of electricity.
2. Prior Art
It is common to suspend articles such as swag lamps, chandeliers or the like by decorative chains, and to provide the electrical supply to the article through cables which are wrapped around or are threaded through the links of the chain. Such arrangements generally have a somewhat untidy appearance.
Attempts have been made to devise chains which at least partly conceal the cables. Examples are shown in the following U.S. patents:    U.S. Pat. No. 1,098,779, issued Jun. 2, 1914 to Blake;    U.S. Pat. No. 1,233,538, issued Jul. 17, 1917 to Alden;    U.S. Pat. No. 1,686,362, issued Oct. 2, 1928 to Arras, and    U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,478, issued May 28, 1974 to Ervin.
Each of these patents shows a construction in which regular, simple chain links alternate with and connect special links which are hollow and carry the cable. In the Arras and Ervin constructions, portions of the cable are visible between the special hollow links so that the cable is not completely concealed. In Alden and Blake the special hollow links have end extensions which meet, or almost meet, together at the middle of the regular links, so that little if any of the cable will be visible; however this demands a rather special form of hollow links, and these do not closely resemble regular links of a chain.